NationStates Jolt Archive

There's one thing in particular that's been bugging the hell out of me ever since I noticed it.

People get their self-identity totally mixed up with the political party, with politicians. They (and this goes for most parties/idealogies/people) will defend the concept of their party's goodness as if it was their very own (often without need for an 'attack' on said concept), will get offended at any negativities aimed at that party or politician as if it was aimed at themselves, and most annoyingly they take absurd pride in what their party or politician accomplishes, as if they themselves had made the accomplishment.

I wish people would understand that just because you happen to have associated yourself with a brand name party, and you have a strange (and completely NOT media-influenced whatsoever ;) )attraction for your party's leadership, does not mean you are anything special, unique, or superior.

All it takes to join a political party is filling in a circle on a form.

That's nothing to be proud of. The party whose circle you filled out is in power? Great for them. You yourself have not increased power whatsoever, and are still just a speck in the ocean with no individual importance in the grand scheme of things.

But no, people insist on being so self important that they'll say "we" lost or "we" won an election, as if they were out fighting a battle. Then they'll gloat over their opponents. Then they'll hate their opponents. Both sides are guilty of this, such that if I were an alien watching the people of America this year, I would suspect the country to be embroiled in a long-burning civil war against itself. I would certainly not consider terrorism, since as an alien this wouldn't be an actual issue to me anymore than "abortion" or "stem cell research" or any other buzzword.

And then people bring God into it. People believe God is not just siding with we the people, but with YOUR particular political affiliation. Sigh. An alarming amount of people have the exact same thinking modes as the terrorist zealots.

It's a stupid mode of thinking that divides everything into black and white so you don't have to bother contemplating complexities. "Us versus them."

But it's natural, and people won't ever stop being dumbasses, so none of this has any real impact. People reading this have already filed it into some categorization - the disagreers will label me as "them," the agreers "us," and as usualy "us" ignores "them" and no one changes their mind on anything because that's just too much mental work. Because people are stupid. This is why no one really minds having a stupid man lead the country. We can all relate to our stupidity.

so we're dumb for uniting under something we believe in? that makes democrats and republicans dumbasses? clarify!

Uniting... AGAINST other Americans. As if they were the enemy, to be defeated. "Battlefield" states. Election depicted as "war."

But then I guess it makes sense... I mean as far as body count, who kills more Americans per year: Americans, or Islamic Terrorists?

I'm not G. W. Bush, but I do know John O'Neill personally. ;)

Not to cross over into gloating territory, but the guy behind the Swift Boat ads, John O'Neill, who also debated Kerry back in the '70s on the Dick Caveatt Show, is an old friend of my dad's business partner's husband, who was a top-officer in the Navy's submariner division.. long story short, I've never met the woman's husband, but O'Neill used to hang around my place of employment, and I've had lunch 3 or 4 times with my dad, the woman who knows O'Neill and O'Neill himself.. Not that I knew who the hell he was at the time, and the last time I saw him around was months before the Swift Boat ads debuted, but it's still a funny anecdote that I use to antagonize liberal friends sometimes, who see John as some kinda anti-christ. ;)

I'm not G. W. Bush, but I do know John O'Neill personally. ;)

Yes. You're still not him either, though.

Not to cross over into gloating territory, but [goes into gloating territory]

Why? Why can no one resist? I resist my urges, like the one telling me to jump on people and rip the veins out of their necks with my teeth...

There's one thing in particular that's been bugging the hell out of me ever since I noticed it.

But it's natural, and people won't ever stop being dumbasses, so none of this has any real impact. People reading this have already filed it into some categorization - the disagreers will label me as "them," the agreers "us," and as usualy "us" ignores "them" and no one changes their mind on anything because that's just too much mental work. Because people are stupid. This is why no one really minds having a stupid man lead the country. We can all relate to our stupidity.

Unfortunately, it seems this trait is genetically based. It was apparently a very strong survival trait to have strong intra-group bonds and to unite behind an "Alpha male." But you're a bright person and can figure all this out for yourself.

Good post, BTW. :)

Why? Why can no one resist? I resist my urges, like the one telling me to jump on people and rip the veins out of their necks with my teeth...

Hey, I've been good to the word so far, but O'Neill is one of the very few people who turned this election for Bush.. that's right, he had more influence than Michael Moore and George Soros and their 100-1 outspending of Republican 527's. Don't tell me you wouldn't mention it if Kerry won, and you were a personal friend of Michael Moore or Bruce Springsteen, etc. :rolleyes:

Don't tell me you wouldn't mention it if Kerry won, and you were a personal friend of Michael Moore or Bruce Springsteen, etc. :rolleyes:

I wouldn't. Besides I think you're implying I'm some sort of Kerry supporter? More us versus them crap I see.

I always thought MKULTRA was GW Bush but hey maybe Im wrong ;)

I'm not G.W. Bush, but I might just be the walrus.

Goo-goo-ka-joo!

Of course I am not George W. Bush.

I am Ralph Nader! All bow before me, hypothetical winner of the American election if George W. Bush and John Kerry had not stolen all my votes!

Me thinks GW Bush is deluded about being the alternative Pope for world Christians.

Me thinks GW Bush is deluded about being the alternative Pope for world Christians.
Bush isn't Catholic.

But then I guess it makes sense... I mean as far as body count, who kills more Americans per year: Americans, or Islamic Terrorists?

I think this is a good point actually. Did you know that there has been nobody in the USA convicted of being a terrorist, plotting attacks or being a member of Al Qaeda. Same goes for Europe. So where are all those terror cells that the FBI, CIA and MI5 have supposedly cracked?

Oh yeah, and did you know that a dirty bomb would kill nobody from the radiation. The worst you would get is mild poisoning, and that is based on a test done by the US where nobody fled the scene for one year.

The threat posed to us, and the capabilities of Al Qaeda, are largely exaggerated; and it does not help that the media and Governments will put out all these scare stories on flimsy evidence and then when it turns out to be false they fail to retract it so people carry on thinking it is the truth. Im not attacking the US press alone, all newspapers do it, British, Aussie, French, Canadian, as it sells papers, even if it is bad for society and the population as a whole.

EDIT - Sorry, I was wrong, there are some terrorists convicted under Britains new terror laws, unfortunatly only 3 of 17 are Islamic, and they are not there for plotting or attacking, only for funding a group in Kashmir or Palestine who "have links" to Al Qaeda. The rest are Irish nationalists or Sikh militants.

Bush isn't Catholic.

A "Pope" for evangelical Christians and those who practice conservative Christianity (like the US does).

A "Pope" for evangelical Christians and those who practice conservative Christianity (like the US does).
But evangelical Christians don't have Popes, or generally a central authority. Now Catholics, like Kerry, do have Popes.

But evangelical Christians don't have Popes, or generally a central authority. Now Catholics, like Kerry, do have Popes.

Sure? Most US evangelical Christians voted Bush in the 2004 US elections because they think he is some messianic saviour of the US to destroy the heathen Islamic terrorists (and his so-called Christian moral values). Bush may not call himself a Pope or Second Vicar to Christ, but he acts as if he was God's chosen warrior to fight the terrorists (and the US is the moral leader of the human universe).

Not a morning goes by that I don't thank the stars I am not Pope George.